Apparatus for coating scrolled sheets



n 5 1 w. 4 t n e .l V s m 3 M '1) 2, M. M e m m 6 m ,5 H s J, m u m M 8 HM f n JA .0 C am m b m R m P A WM Dec. 30, 1952 Filed Jan. 16. 1947 .1 s. R. JOHNSON 2,623,495

APPARATUS FOR COATING SCROLLED SHEETS Filed Jan. 16, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 2 MN M I", I. |||||||l WM, M0

W M 0% NY f Patented Dec. 30, 1952 APPARATUS FOR COATING SCROLLED SHEET Scott R. Johnson, River Forest, 111., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 16, 1947, Serial No. 722,387

3 Claims. 1

The invention relates generally to the art of forming end closures for cans or similar containers and it primarily seeks to provide a novel apparatus for'coating the scrolled sheets which are subsequently cut into the individual scroll strips from which said end closures are punched.

It is quite common in the art to successively feed individual scroll strips to a punch press for cutting can ends from the strips and properly die shaping the same. When strips having parallel lin side edges and continuous end edges bearing right angular relation to said side edges are used much unnecessary wastage of metal is occasioned because of the straight side and end edges, particularly when the ends are punched from the strips in longitudinally and transversely aligned rows. In order to'reduce this wastage of metal between punch rows, the punching of the ends has been performed by punches so placed as to stagger the rows so that each punch hole in a given row is centered between two hole centers in an adjacent row thereby to permit the row centers to be brought closer together, but with this arrangement one opening at the end of each row is spaced a considerable distance from the adjacent end edge of the strip and unnecessary wastage is occasioned at said ends unless some provision is made to avoid the same. It has been found that by cutting coil stock transversely at sheet lengths by a scroll cutter, scrolled sheets can be formed which can be turned 90 and fed step-by-step through scroll shears for having scroll cuts made transversely thereacross so as to divide said sheets into multiples of scroll strips in which most of the wastage referred to will be eliminated in the subsequent cutting of the end closures therefrom.

Scrolled sheets of the character referred to commonly have burrs along the scrolled edges thereof, and when it is desired to coat said sheets with protective lacquer or comparable coatings after the sheets have been severed from the coil stock, said burrs have presented problems due to the formation of scroll line depressions in the coating rolls and the resultant application of heavy coating accumulation along the scrolled edges of the sheets. It has been found that repeated contacts of the deformable coating applicator surface of a coating roll with the scrolled edges of the sheets incidental to the coating of said sheets caused the scrolled edge burrs to form a scrolled groove or depression in the roll, and as a result of accumulation of coating material in said groove an excess or accumulation of the coating material was deposited along the scrolled edge extremities of such sheets; This accumulation of coating material was found very objectionable during the punching of can ends from the subsequently formed coil strips because said material would chip off and foul the punching die equipments.

Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus for coating scrolled sheets which will avoid the formation of scrolled grooves in the coating rolls and also avoid the application of an excess or accumulation of coating material along the scrolled edge extremities of said sheets. v

More specifically, the invention seeksto provide an apparatus of the character stated including sheet supporting means, sheet feeding means, a coating applicator roll having an applicator surface thereon adapted to engage in rolling contact with and coat the all-over surface of each fed sheet and including scroll cut edge portions corresponding substantially to the pattern Of the scroll cut edge portions of each sheet and dimensioned so as to be registrable with the scroll cut edges of sheets with all portions of the scroll cut edge portions of said applicator surface close to but spaced inwardly from all portions of the scroll cut edge portions of said sheets, and means to register th scroll cut edges of the fed sheets with the scroll cut roll edge portions so that the latter will coat the scroll cut edges of the sheets close up to but just short of each edge extremity defining said scroll cut sheet edge portions.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, th nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the fOllOWil'lg detailed description, the appended claims, and the several viewsillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: a

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating a scrolled sheet which is to be coated in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view 11 lustrating a portion of the sheet shown in Figure 1 coated in accordance with the invention.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary somewhat diagrammatic development of the coating roll surface showing the relation thereof to a sheet being coated.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the coated material applying surface of the ro l at one end thereof,- a fragmentof a scrolled end sheet being superposed. thereover in registered relation.

Figure 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic longi tudin-al sectional View illustrating an example apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 6 is a side elevation illustrating drive connections in the apparatus shown in Figure 5.

In Figure 1, there is illustrated one of the scrolled sheets which is to be coated in accordance with the invention, said sheet being generally designated 5. Such sheets preferably are formed by feeding a continuous strip or web of metal from a coil in the direction of the arrow 6 on Figure 1 and scroll shear cutting said strip or web transversely to form individual sheet lengths such as are shown in Figure 1. This manner of forming the scrolled sheets provides scroll cut end edges arranged in parallel relation and presenting alternated projections I and recesses 23, the center of each projection at a given end of the sheet being in line with the center of a depression at the opposite end of the sheet in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 1.

After the scrolled sheets of Figure 1 are formed in the manner stated, they may be fed in the direction of the arrow 9 on Figure 1 for being coated in the manner hereinafter described, that is with the scroll cut edge portions thereof we sented toward the sides, and with the parallel straight end edges presented at advance and trailing edge portions. After the scrolled sheets are coated in the manner hereinafter described and baked they are fed, step-by-step in the direc- 2 tion of the arrow 9 to a scroll shear for having scroll cuts made thereacross for the purpose of dividing the sheet into individual scroll strips. The first cut of the shears will provide a scroll.

edge trim cut as at IE, and the transverse scroll 5? outs made successively thereafter as at it will serve to divide the sheet into individual scroll strips which are later to be fed individually and lengthwise in the direction of the arrow 6 to the punch and die equipments which punch ends therefrom in the manner indicated at l2 in Figure 1. It will be apparent that by staggering the rows of punch cuts, and scroll cutting the sheet and strip edges, a minimum of waste or scrap is provided.

It will be apparent by reference to Figure 2 of the drawings that the protective or decorative coating of lacquer or the like applied to the scrolled sheet shown in Figure 1 covers the whole surface of the sheet at one face thereof except for a very narrow marginal edge portion which follows the contour of the scroll cut edges and is left plain or uncoated. The all-over coated surface is indicated at is and the very narrow uncoated marginal edge portion is indicated at It.

It will be apparent by a comparison of Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings that the leaving of the very narrow marginal edge portion uncoated is not objectionable because any overlapping of a punch out into the narrow uncoated margin will be very slight and will be at that extreme edge portion of the end closure which is rolled into a seam in the attachment of the end closure to a can.

In the coating of the scrolled sheets in the manner hereinabove described, a coating roll such as is shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings may be employed. The coating roll may include a shaft l5 surrounded by a core or body It which is in turn surrounded by a blanket or applicator sleeve I! of the slightly yieldable applicator surface material customarily employed in coating rolls. The applicator sleeve IT has its end portions scroll cut as at 8, and it is important to note that the scroll cut portions of the applicator roll ends are slightly shorter and narrower than til the scroll cut edge portions of the scrolled sheets which are to be coated by the roll. In this manner as the applicator roller engages in rolling contact with the scrolled sheet with the scroll edges of the sheet and the scrollcut end portions of the roll in proper registry, the coating material will be applied in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 2 with the coating l3 terminating within the borders of the sheet and close to the scroll cut edges thereof in a manner for leaving the very narrow uncoated marginal edge portions M as shown in said Figure 2.

It is to be understood that any suitable apparatus may be employed for engaging the coating roll surface with the scrolled sheets in proper registry in the manner hereinabove described, and an example of apparatus which will be found satisfactory for the purpose stated is to be found in the Wagner et al. Patent 1,848,856 issued March 8, 1932. When an apparatus of this type is employed it may include bearing means 19 for rotatably supporting the coating roll in suitable framing 20. The applicator sleeve ll of the roll may be engaged by a transfer roll 2| which transfers the coating material picked up and applied thereto by the pick up roll 22 which has its lower portion immersedgin the coating material 23 contained in the reservoir 24 supported on the frame structure.

The applicator roll operates over a bed roll which has suitable rotative support in the framing, and the scrolled sheets may be fed over suitable table means 26 into the bight between the bed roll 25 and the applicator sleeve ll, said sheets being suitably guided by guide means 21 disposed to engage the scroll out side edge portions of the sheets. In the patent disclosure referred to, the guide means take the form of laterally reciprocable devices, but it is to be understood that fixed guide means may be employed, if desired.

The scrolled sheets may be fed into the apparatus by hand, or on a conveyor 28 which may feed them into the apparatus and against a stop means 29. The stop means shown is carried by a rock shaft 30 which is rockable to oscillate the stop means into and out of the path of the infeeding sheets. In other words, the stop will intercept a sheet, and then at the proper time release the same to permit it to move into the apparatus in properly timed relation. The oscillatable stop means operates in combination with a magnetic entry roll SI and each time the stop means is lowered so as to release an incoming sheet, said roll serves to feed the released sheet into the apparatus and onto the feed chains 32 which are equipped with feed fingers 33 effective to feed the sheets to the rolls in accurately timed relation.

Magnetic feed rolls may be provided, one thereof being disposed transversely of the apparatus in advance of the rolls 25 and ll, and the other of said rollsbeing similarly disposed beyond said rolls and H. Lifter fingers cooperate with the magnetic feed roll 3 3 and are normally positioned. at an elevation for holding a sheet end above and out of contact with the roll 34. The fingers are oscillated upwardly and downwardly in timed relation with the movement of the coating roll so as to at the proper time lower sheets onto the feed roll so that the feed rolls 34 and 35 can take over the feeding of sheets in proper timed relation to the movement of the scroll cut coating roll. The lifter fingers .33 are mounted on a transversely disposed rock shaft 31 and rocking movement is imparted to the shaft by engagement of the roller 38 on the arm 29 with the rotary cam 48. The cam 40, best shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, is driven through a gear couple 4| from the cross shaft 42 which is also connected in driving relation, through the gear couple 43, with the side gage operating cam means 44.

It will be apparent by reference to Figure 6 of the drawings that the drive shaft 45, driven in any approved manner (not shown) is connected in driving relation, through sprocket and chain connections 46, with the shaft 41 which is in turn connected in driving relation by the gear couple 48 with the shaft 49. The shaft 49 drives the shaft 50 through the gear couple 5|, and the shaft 5!] drives the coating roll through the gear couple 52, and also the bed roll shaft through connection of the gear 53 with the lowermost one of the meshing gears 52. The bed roll shaft in turn drives the magnetic feed rolls 34 and 35 through the gear train 54.

The lowermost one of the meshing gears 52 drives the chain driving cross shaft 55 through the gear train 55, and the shaft 55 is connected in driving relation with the magnetic entry roll 3| through the power transmission connections 51.

A cam 58 on the shaft 50 operates through pitman and crank connections 59 to impart rocking movement to the previously described rock shaft 39 on which the stop fingers 29 are mounted.

Scrolled sheets coated in the apparatus may be delivered therefrom by the discharge conveyor 60 which may be arranged to deliver said sheets directly onto the wickets 6| which carry them into and through the usual baking oven.

By use of the disclosed apparatus or an equivalent apparatus including the scroll cut coating roll and means for feeding the sheets to and accurately registering them with said roll during the coating process, the desired coated scrolled sheet can be provided with the coating thereon extending close but not all the way up to the scroll cut edge extremities at the sides of the sheets, and by registering the sheets as they are being coated in the manner herein described, with the side edges of said sheets slightly overhanging or extending beyond the side edges of the coating roll, all chance of the burrs on the scroll cut edges of the sheets engaging with the deformable coating surface of the roll and forming a groove therein which would be effective to collect and apply a surplus of coating material to the scroll cut edges of the sheets is avoided.

While example apparatus has been disclosed herein, it is to be understood that the specific form of apparatus may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for coating sheets of metal having the side edges thereof scroll cut, sheet supporting means, sheet feeding means, a coating applicator roll having an applicator surface thereon adapted to engage in rolling contact with and coat the all-over surface of each fed sheet and including scroll cut edge portions corresponding substantially to the pattern of the scroll cut edge portions of each sheet and dimensioned so as to be registrable with the scroll cut edges of sheets with all portions of the scroll cut edge portions of said applicator surface close to but spaced inwardly from all portions of the scroll cut edge portions of said sheets, and means to register the scroll cut edges of the fed sheets with the scroll cut roll edge portions so that the latter will coat the scroll cut edges of the sheets close up to but just short of each edge extremity defining said scroll cut sheet edge portions.

2. In apparatus for coating sheets of metal having the side edges thereof scroll cut, sheet supporting means, sheet feeding means, a coating applicator roll having an applicator surface thereon adapted to engage in rolling contact with and coat the all-over surface of each fed sheet and including scroll cut edge portions corresponding substantially to the pattern of the scroll cut edge portions of each sheet, and means to register the scroll cut edges of the fed sheets with the roll edge portions, said scroll cut roll edge portions terminating substantially parallel and short of each edge extremity of the scroll cut sheet edge, thereby to leave an uncoated margin of very narrow width on each sheet along the scroll out side edges and causing said side edges to extend beyond and out of contact with the coating applicator surface of said roll.

3. In apparatus for coating sheets of metal having the side edges thereof scroll cut, sheet supporting means, sheet feeding means, a coating applicator roll having an applicator surface thereon adapted to engage in rolling contact with and coat the all-over surface of each fed sheet and including scroll cut edge portions corresponding substantially to the pattern of the scroll cut edge portions of each sheet, and means for cooperatively timing the sheet and roll movements to cause the scroll cut edge portions of the sheets and the roll to register accurately, said coating applicator surface of the roll being so dimensioned that the coated surface on. each sheet will terminate within the borders of the sheet and close to the scroll cut edges thereof.

SCOTT R. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,250,578 Goldberg Dec. 18, 1917 1,394,149 Cumfer Oct. 18, 1921 1,968,911 Potdevin Aug. 7, 1934 2,083,273 ONeil June 3, 1937 2,174,071 Grupe Sept. 26 1939 

